I’m working on publishing a book called, God’s Foundations (working title). I want to submit rough drafts of parts of it on this blog in hopes that some might read and give feedback. So here goes…

God’s Foundations – Preface

Every Word

Jesus clearly teaches that we live and grow by, “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Emphasis on “every”.

When He said that He was opposing Satan in a desert and quoting directly from the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:3, to be exact). Thus, Jesus is not speaking of, “God’s word,” in an abstract way. To Him, God’s Word = Scripture (or “the Bible,” which means the written word of God). And “every” bit of Scripture is part of our balanced diet. Not one morsel of God’s word is extra or should be wasted. All of it is part of a balanced diet for our soul.

All Scripture

Similarly, Jesus speaks through Paul later, saying, essentially the same thing. If you open to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, you see that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Here, note the words, “All,” and, “every”.

“All” Scripture (not “some”) is what trains us and prepares us for “every” good work (not just for “some” good works). It’s another way of saying what Jesus states in Matthew 4:4: Every part of God’s written word (i.e. “Scripture,” or, “The Bible”) is needed for every work God has called us to. Where we lack this basic diet, we lack spiritual strength and training for God’s very call on our lives.

These are wonderful and powerful points for every Christ follower to consider. The Bible in its totality is the exact balanced diet God has allotted to us for “every good work.” It’s not too much or too little.

Starting on Milk

However, for a new believer, such a feast of all 66 Bible books (with its 1,189 chapters) can be very overwhelming to fathom. It’s a bit like telling a newborn that God’s balanced diet includes eating meat, vegetables, fruits, and so forth. Yes it’s true, but not quite yet for the newborn. At least there’s not yet a direct food-to-mouth path for the newborn.

Instead, God has built a beautiful way to accommodate this transitional time when an infant still needs nourishment but lacks the means to eat food directly: they are fed by the mother’s milk. That is, God makes it so a mother eats the food directly, then gives the infant the pre-digested form of these nutrients.

In a similar way, all who are discipling others fill this “mothering” role. That is, while the young Christian is still growing spiritual teeth and ability to feed themselves, we are to take the food we’ve digested from God’s word, and give them the milk version.

This is why Peter can compare God’s word to “pure spiritual milk” given to “newborn infants,” (1 Peter 2:2). And Paul can say, “we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children,” (1 Thes. 2:7).

This, of course, is by no means where God wants the new Jesus-follower to say, as He says: “everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature…” (Heb. 5:13-14).

But it is nevertheless a temporary place of dependence on others that every natural and spiritual infant experiences. It is milk given in preparation for them later self-feeding on solid food. Or said with another metaphor, it’s a crutch given temporarily in hopes of you no longer needing such a crutch later.

God’s Foundations

And with this background, we present to you the following lessons. These lessons are meant to get the believer on a solid foundation based on Scripture’s own view of what is foundational. Of course, a foundation is also not the ultimate attainment. Building the entire house is the ultimate goal. But a good and proper foundation is essential to a good building. Jesus says as much when He gives the sober warning of 2 men building on 2 foundations: The 1 on rock was harder to build, but endured in the storm, whereas the 1 built on sand looked OK for a while, but had a devastating fall when storms came (see Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49).

These teachings, likewise, are meant to undergird your faith with a solid foundation that will endure all seasons, and allow for much greater building to come. And like the rock in Jesus’ parable, these may take longer to dig deep into, but will be worth it in the end (see Luke 6:46-49, especially v. 48: “like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock”).

Selecting God’s Foundations

Each specific teaching was selected because God (in Scripture) tells us that such-and-such a particular teaching is to be prioritized above other teachings. God never diminishes the importance of other teachings, but He does prioritize certain teachings, saying things like:

  • “I delivered to you as of first importance…” (1 Corinthians 15:1)
  • “First of all, then, I urge…” (1 Timothy 2:1)
  • “The most important [command] is…” (Mark 12:29).

Thus, we will focus on the teachings God prioritizes in Scripture, believing and hoping God will honor this approach by using such teaching to build deep roots in you. And that these particular teachings will give you the ability to understand God’s heart and the main contours of God’s Scripture much better.

Then, from there, the fruit can flourish, your diet expand, and you truly can self-feed much better on, “all Scripture,” and “every word” of God (2 Tim 3:16; Matt 4:4).

Equip For Ministry

From:

  • Milk to solid food,
  • Crutches to legs,
  • Foundations to house, and
  • Roots to fruit

I pray this teaching would be used by Christ Almighty to, “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

Soli Deo Gloria

Amen.

-Brian Holda

Scripture Quotations

All Scripture is in ESV unless otherwise noted.